There are already articles of jewelry, such as rings, earrings, pendants, wherein a frame or support body and an ornamental element are mutually joined together by magnetic attraction. This allows a wearer to replace the ornamental element with another as desired.
Among others, U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,871 discloses a jewelry piece comprising, in combination, a frame provided with a central recess, a decorative element to be received within the central recess, a first magnet fixed to the bottom of the decorative element, at least one other magnet being fixed within the central recess for securing the decorative element therewithin, and an aperture extending through the bottom of the central recess of the frame for providing access for a stylus for selectively dislodging the decorative element from the frame. According to an embodiment of the invention, a pair of magnets separated by a given distance from each other is fixed within the central recess of the frame. This distance allows to attract, between the pair of magnets fixed in the central recess, the magnet attached to the bottom of the decorative element.
It is understood that the jewelry piece according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,871 has the drawback of requiring a stylus, that is, a tool for the removal of the decorative element that is within the frame and cannot be grasped with the fingers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,734 describes a device for ornamental use comprising a base element and an ornament element detachably mounted thereto by magnetic attraction. The ornamental element has an outer ornamental surface and an inner surface provided with a raised portion serving as insert means. The ornament element has, in its inner surface, at least two elongated pin-like projections, and the base element has holes corresponding to the projections adapted to receive them, without any interference with the wearer of the device. The presence of the pin-like projections ensures the centering of ornament element and, at the same time, facilitates the removal of the ornament element by acting on the pin-like projections. However, the structure described is complicated to manufacture.
The European patent EP 1 810 588 describes an article of jewelry having a support body and an ornamental element removably mounted to the support body. According to an embodiment of the invention relating to a ring, the support body has a bushing, and the ornamental element has a pin that can be received in the bushing. Provided coaxially to the bushing and the pin, in the support body and the ornamental element respectively, are circular seats. In the circular seats there are respective ring magnets having opposite magnetic poles.
It is understood that the article of jewelry according to the patent EP 1 810 588 does not require a tool for the ornamental element replacement because the ornamental element can be freely grasped. However, it is understood that likewise the ornamental element can accidentally collide with other objects and slip out of the support body with a risk of getting lost. In fact, the pin has only a centering function of the decorative element and, in no way, a hold function on the support body.